Wondering Warrior
by Raenny
Summary: Paine's life hadn't changed after she defeated Shuyin with Yuna and Rikku. She wondered around aimlessly in Spira. Nothing was fun. Everything was normal. But she is given a chance to live a life she wants. But there is a little catch in every contract.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is my first story~ I hope you all like it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. **

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**Chapter 1:**

_**The Beginning**_

Paine stood on the beach of Besaid. She had her arms crossed and her eyes shut. She seemed to be lost in cloud nine. She tuned everything out except for the calming waves.

It was a day just like the rest. Sunny, calm, and nothing annoying in sight.

"PAINEEEEEEEEEE." I take that back. Paine groaned and opened her left eye. She knew that voice too well.

A girl that had green eyes with swirls ran up to the grumbling silver haired warrior.

"What do you want Rikku?" Paine opened her right eye and glared at the Al Bhed.

"Yuna wants to talk to you." Rikku pouted. No matter how much Paine opened up, she was still a bit mean.

"And she couldn't come down here?" Paine mumbled and started walking back to the village.

"She was too busy being all love-dovey with Tidus." Rikku faked a gag while walking into step beside her. Paine smirked at the comment and walked a bit slower. She really didn't feel like walking into a romantic scene. It would get awkward.

"Could you walk any slower?" Rikku asked the girl who was now a couple of inches behind her. Paine's smirk grew bigger.

"Sure." And it seemed as if someone had casted a slow on her. Rikku groaned playfully and ran behind the silver haired girl. Paine raised an eyebrow only to have Rikku pushing her a second later.

"Hey..! Now wait a se-"

"Hush it!" Rikku silenced her. Paine gave her a shocked looked which only caused Rikku to laugh and push her faster.

"Just get this thing over with Paine."

Paine groaned to see that they were almost near the village gates. Who knew a small, cheery girl had so much strength?

Rikku stopped pushing her and ran ahead. Paine had no choice but to follow her.

Once inside the village, she gave a small nod to Lulu who was outside with her baby in her arms. The baby was a boy and they named him Vidina, the Al Bhed word for 'future.'

She stopped in front of Yuna's hut and went in.

"You wanted to talk?" Surprisingly, Tidus was not with her.

Yuna nodded and told Paine to sit down.

"I found a sphere." Paine raised an eyebrow,

"That's it?"

"No...What I saw in it was strange." Yuna handed her a small computer-like device which Shinra gifted to her. It could record what was in Movie Spheres.

_"Oh come on Sephiroth!" A red haired man was whining at someone who was very tall with long silver hair, whose name was apparently Sephiroth. _

_"No Genesis." His voice was deep and sounded a bit annoyed. The red haired man, Genesis, pouted and turned to another man._

_"Angeal say something!" Angeal only chuckled and patted his shoulder._

_"I don't have the right to say anything." His comment was answered by a jaw drop. _

_"Let's go." Sephiroth's voice caused them to look at him. They nodded and Genesis grinned._

_"Time to kick some Wutai ass!" And the scene fades into black._

"Wutai? Sephiroth? Genesis? Angeal?_" _Paine grabbed her head at the sudden headache. Too many questions.

"This can't be apart of Spira's past. None of those names exist!" Yuna said frustratedly. Paine re-watched the it again looking at the background.

"Looks like a grassland area...Too dark to see anything else." Paine sighed and set down the device.

"Where is the sphere now?" The silver haired girl asked the ex-high summoner.

Yuna sighed, "It disintegrated after I looked at it. Luckily, I managed to record it."

Paine frowned. A sphere disintegrating? That has never happened before.

"Did you tell anyone else?" Paine asked looking at the girl.

Yuna shook her head, "It would be best if it was kept between us two."

Paine was surprised. Yuna usually would tell Rikku and Tidus everything.

"Alright." Paine slowly rose to her feet and exited out the hut only to end up face to face to Tidus.

"Oh hey Paine." He gave her a smile and she gave him a nod before heading back to the village gates. She wanted some more _quiet_ and _alone _time. Hopefully Rikku would realize that.

As she was nearing the beach, a faint glow was seen near the cave Wakka had found. Curiosity getting the best of her, she walked closer. As she neared cautiously, the faint glow seemed to be coming from a sphere.

Paine frowned and grabbed it.

"This is strange.." She hadn't see the sphere there before. But then again Rikku was pushing her and didn't get a chance to see much. She peered into it to see the movie...

_"It's so boring!" It was the same red haired man, Genesis._

_"Stop complaining." Sephiroth scowled. Genesis only made a whining sound and turned to Angeal._

_"We should do something." Angeal's response was only a raised eyebrow._

_"We just finished training." Sephiroth sighed. Genesis only pouted,_

_"__Wishing for tomorrow... my soul shatters. My pride is broke. My wing is broken. I am no longer able to fly.."_

_Sephiroth rubbed his temples in annoyance, "Don't start this with me."_

_Angeal kept looking back and forth at the two waiting for something to happen._

_"But Loveless is a good story!" Genesis became defensive._

_"Not when beaten into your head." Was Sephiroth's answer and the sphere went black._

"Who the heck are these guys?" Paine grumbled. She looked at the sphere, it was a light gray. A strange color for a sphere. What she didn't expect was for it to disintegrate in her hand.

"Same thing happened with Yuna's sphere..." Paine sighed and shook her head. Things were getting too confusing. Just who were these guys exactly? Paine pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and headed towards the beach.

Paine sat down on the sand this time and looked out to the ocean. So peaceful, calm...quiet. No villager in sight. She was all alone. And that was how she liked it.

"PAAAINEEEEEE!"

"Oh for the love of...!" Paine turned around to glare at the annoying girl but stopped when she saw the panicked look.

"What is it?" Paine asked concerned. Rikku was panting,

"Yuna..Pant..Something..Pant...Happened!"

"What happened?" Paine was completely worried. What happened to Yuna.

"I don't know! Just come!" Rikku grabbed Paine's arm and dragged her into Wakka's cave. Paine was a bit suspicious. How do you know that something happened to Yuna and yet not _know_ what happened.

"Why would she be here?" Paine asked frowning.

"She isn't." Rikku's voice was switched with a deep one. One that was menacing. Paine's hand went to her broadsword to only see it missing. It must still be on the beach. Paine cursed silently.

"Who are you?" Paine asked, now regretting that she left her dresspheres in Besaid with Yuna. She was becoming careless. But after the decrease of monsters in the area and evil no longer seemed to be existing, who needed a weapon nowadays? But she still carried her broadsword.

"A friend...A enemy...Anything you want me to be." 'Rikku' slowly turned into a man in a black hood. Paine scowled and got ready to fight.

"I don't wish to fight. Listen to me." He spoke calmly and slowly. She growled, but did as he asked.

"Do you wish for adventure?" Paine was confused at this question. Adventure? Sure she likes it, but is she wishing for it?

"Where are you getting at?" She gave a death glare to the man. He only sighed.

"Your heart is breaking Paine. Your life is slowly crumbling.."

"What do you know?" Paine shouted at him.

"I_ know_ that you desire more fun in life. Even a man to have. You are jealous of Yuna and Rikku." He spoke, ignoring the fact she was getting angry.

"You know nothing!" She turned around and tried to leave, only to be stopped by a barrier.

"There is no escape Paine. I hope you enjoy your new life." He smiled and Paine began to slowly feel dizzy.

"What a-are you doing...?" Was Paine's last words before she blanked out and fell to the floor.

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**A/N: So did you like it? :D Paine will meet our favorite SOLDIER trio in the next chapter. :) Reviews are very appreciated.**

**If you find anything confusing, feel free to PM me or..well leave a review. Haha.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter~  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. **

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**Chapter 2:**

_**Meeting The Trio**_

Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal exited the training center. Going there had been a regular routine for them. They headed towards the Mess Hall getting prepared for what's to come.

Fangirls.

Secretaries would usually be there for waiting to attack the trio with flashes from cameras, and loud screaming. Genesis enjoyed it, while Angeal found it amusing, and Sephiroth...Well let's just say it takes a ton of willpower to _not_ kill them.

Once they stepped through the door, they were instantly greeted by 2nd Class SOLDIER, Zack.

"Hey guys! Thought I'd get to you first before the fangirls do." He chuckled and lead them to a table where a boy with Chocobo hair was sitting.

"Guys, this is Cloud!" Zack grinned and made the Chocobo haired boy turn around to greet the 1st Class SOLDIERS. Cloud immediately became shy when he noticed them.

They trio gave Cloud a nod before sitting down. Cloud tried his best to keep his mouth shut, fearing that he would say something stupid in front of Sephiroth. His hero.

As they waited for the kitchen doors to open, they could have sworn they saw every table in the room shaking.

"You don't think..." Genesis started while looking at the door.

"Yeah it's them." Angeal said calmly. Cloud looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what was going to happen.

"Try to get out alive Cloud." Zack joked, but Cloud looked at him with fear in his eyes. Get out of what alive? Sephiroth gave a low, annoyed growl and closed his eyes.

The doors swung open to reveal many women holding cameras and photos. They looked around the cafeteria hungrily until they spotted the three men they were looking for.

Cloud could feel Zack trying not to laugh as the girls squealed at the unfortunate 1st Class SOLDIERS.

Cloud's eyes widened in fear as he saw them push each other, trying to head to their table. Cloud scooted away from Genesis, who was sitting next to him, knowing that if he was close, he'd probably get hurt.

"GENESIS!"

"SEPHIROTH!"

"ANGEAL!"

"Run for it!" Zack called out to Cloud and he grabbed his arm dragging him away from the fangirls.

Cloud gave the table one last look as the women crowded around it. He felt a bit sorry for them.

**. . .**

Paine groaned as she began to wake up. She opened her eyes to see she was in a place that looked like an infirmary. She sat up to see that she was on a bed and she wasn't wearing her regular attire. She had on a white gown, a hospital gown. Paine frowned as she pinched her arm. She wasn't dreaming. But she couldn't remember how she got here.

"I see you are awake Miss." Paine looked to her left to see a young woman holding a clipboard. She looked like a nurse.

"Where am I?" Paine asked staring suspiciously at the woman.

"In the infirmary of Shinra Headquarters." She answered. Paine gave the nurse a surprised look. Shinra Headquarters? Did the little kid have a company already? But that was impossible. Shinra was just a kid and the last time she saw him, he was still with Brother.

"Excuse me, but who is the founder?" Paine asked the nurse, and she was given a surprised look.

"You don't know?" The nurse asked. Paine almost rolled her eyes.

"If I knew, why would I ask?" The silver haired girl scowled. The nurse only shook her head,

"President Shinra." Now Paine was wide awake. Did the little kid really have a company?

"Is the President by any chance...a kid?"

This caused the nurse to snort and give a chuckle,

"You must have hit your head harder then we thought. No he is not."

Paine frowned. So he _didn't_ run this company. Maybe the names are just a coincidence.

"How did I get here?" Paine decided to push the Shinra company thing to back of her mind.

"You were found unconscious and bleeding at the front door."

Paine frowned some more. Bleeding? Was she in a fight? Why the hell couldn't she remember?

"Now can you tell me your name?" The nurse asked getting out a pen, ready to write on her clipboard.

"Paine." She really didn't have a choice but to answer. The nurse stared at her. Paine only scowled.

"P-a-i-n-e." The nurse nodded and wrote it down.

"I will be back with Professor Hojo." And with that, the nurse left and closed the door.

Paine stared confusedly at nothing. Hojo? Who was that? She shook her head and looked around the room again.

"Where is my broadsword?" Paine grumbled and kicked the sheets off of her.

"In my lab." A high pitched, nasal voice caused her to snap her head towards the door. A man with black hair pulled back into a pony tail and he wore a lab coat. He was probably Professor Hojo.

"I want it back." She glared. He only chuckled and shook his head.

"In due time. I just wish to look at it a little bit. Its structure fascinates me." He smirked. Paine definitely knew she wasn't going to like this guy.

"Arguing probably won't help, huh?" Paine glared some more. Hojo chuckled and nodded his head.

"Now child. I am curious." Paine gave him a raised eyebrow and ignored the 'child' thing.

He took a few steps forward,

"Why is your hair silver? Have you been given Jenova cells?" His eyes narrowed when he said Jenova. Paine gave him a weird look.

"Because I was born with it. And who the hell is Jenova?" Paine glared at him as a brief look of surprise flashed on his face.

"Interesting...Someone will be here in a few minutes to show you around the Shinra headquarters..You will be here for quiet awhile." And he left the room laughing like a maniac.

Paine shuddered. She _really_ didn't like that guy. But she was quiet curious on who the person would be.

After spotting her clothes on a nearby chair, the nurse must have put it there, she locked the door and quickly changed.

She unlocked the door and stretched her muscles a bit. The nurse told her she was bleeding, but Paine saw no signs of a cut anywhere. Weird. She didn't see Zack leaning on the wall.

"They weren't lying when they said your hair was like Sephiroth's."

Paine turned her head to the door to see a young boy about her age, grinning.

"Name's Zack, and I'm guessing you're Paine?" He asked.

Paine nodded and crossed her arms.

"May I ask, who is Sephiroth?" Her question made him almost fall over in shock.

"_You_ don't _know_ who _**Sephiroth**_ is? Oh man." Zack scratched his head, giving Paine a weird look. She only scowled.

"He's a 1st Class SOLDIER. A general. He's the best fighter to ever exist!" Zack explained. Paine raised an eyebrow. She was gonna ask him about SOLDIER later.

"Really? Then I wish to fight him." She gave him a smirk. Zack looked at her like she was crazy.

"Oh man...I like you already!" Zack grinned and grabbed her by the arm, chatting her ear off. He strangely reminded her of Rikku. Paine couldn't help but have a small smile grace her lips.

**. . .**

"Hey, did you hear about the women who had features similar to Sephiroth?" A young infantryman whispered to his friend.

This caused Genesis, Angeal, and even Sephiroth to look at them in curiosity. They had just escaped from the fangirls and were calmly walking in the halls.

"Hey kid!" Genesis called out to the infantryman. The 16 year old boy looked both ways before pointing at himself. Genesis nodded and the young infantryman ran up to him.

"Yes, sir?" He saluted.

"What can you tell me about the women you were talking about?" Genesis asked crossing his arms. Angeal stood next to Genesis, as Sephiroth leaned against the wall, but was listening.

"Only that she was similar to Sephiroth. Except her eyes. They are crimson. And she is beautiful also!" The boy answered excitedly.

Now this topic had caught the trio's attention.

"Do you know where she is?" Angeal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I heard Zack was showing her around the building." Was all the boy said and he was dismissed. He ran back to his friend, chatting happily about the 1st Class SOLDIERS talking to him.

"Ready to go Zack hunting?" Genesis smirked at his two friends. They nodded and began walking again.

**. . .**

Paine let the information sink in as Zack told her everything about Shinra. Ranging from what they did to SOLDIER. He told her about the popular trio which consisted of Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth. They were very interesting.

"You know Paine, you really are similar to Sephiroth. Looks and attitude." Zack chuckled as he was showing her the labs. Maybe they would run into Hojo and Paine would be able to get her broadsword back.

Paine froze as she remembered something. She checked her back pockets to see that her dresspheres were there. She smirked. Perfect.

"Is something wrong Paine?" Zack looked at her. Paine only shook her head and walked beside him again.

"Whoa, whose this pretty lady?" A man with red hair in a blue uniform came up to them grinning.

"This is Paine, Paine this is Reno. He's a Turk." Zack introduced. A Turk. Paine remembered him telling her about them. A group that did espionage, assassinations, kidnappings, searching for potential SOLDIER candidates, and bodyguards for Shinra executives.

Reno smirked and gave a mock bow.

"Nice to meet you."

Paine remained silent and gave him a small glare.

"I like her already." Reno laughed.

"I can't say I like you though." Paine mumbled and grabbed Zack by the arm, dragging him away from Reno.

"Whoa wait a second! I have to tell Zack something." Paine stopped and let go of Zack's arm. She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

"You got three minutes."

Reno was about to protest but gave up.

"Your three SOLIDER buddies are lookin' for ya." Reno told him and then walked away whistling.

Zack rubbed his chin in thought.

"I wonder why."

"Can we at least finish the tour?" Paine asked him, opening one eye.

"Oh right!" He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

**. . .**

"Where is the hell is he?" Genesis grumbled and sighed.

"Be patient Genesis. We'll find him." Angeal told him. Sephiroth remained silent. This was natural, but he would usually comment at least once. This mysterious woman was keeping his mind occupied.

"Hey I think I see him." Angeal said, walking a bit faster to get a closer look. He was right. Zack was happily chatting with a woman who seemed to be barely saying anything as they walked out of the elevator. The woman had silver hair and crimson eyes and an all black attire. The young infantryman was right. She did have similar features to Sephiroth.

Zack noticed the three men and grinned. He said something to the woman and ran up to them.

"Hey guys! Reno said you were looking for me."

Genesis nodded,

"Because we're curious about _her_." He pointed at the silver haired woman who had her arms crossed and was looking out one of the large windows.

"Oh her? That's Paine." Zack answered. The trio gave him a surprised look. Paine? What kind of name was that?

"Are you gonna stand there, or are you gonna introduce us?" Angeal joked at his student.

"Oh right!" Zack grinned at them and ran back to Paine. He grabbed her by the arm, surprising her, and dragged her to the guys. Both Angeal and Genesis looked at them with amusement while Sephiroth kept an emotionless mask, staring at Paine.

"Well Paine this is Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth." He said pointing to the said persons as he said their name. She nodded at both Genesis and Angeal, but smirked at Sephiroth. He raised his eyebrow at her and continued to stare at her.

Genesis, Zack, and Angeal looked back and forth between the two.

"Holy Gaia, long lost siblings!" Genesis grinned.

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**A/N: Review Review Review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Thank you for the reviews everyone! Sorry for the long wait, High School is Hell On Earth for me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Only the clothes on my back ~ ...Even though my own mother bought it..Anyways...**

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**Chapter 3:**

**_Paine Is In A New World?  
_**

Paine couldn't help but be highly amused when Genesis shouted that out. She had checked out Sephiroth from head to toe and couldn't help but slightly agree at how he had similar features. The silver hair was obviously one, but their eyes were completely different. His being a green and hers being crimson. Complete opposites...Though his eyes were similar to that of a cat. Paine would investigate that later.

"...I'm not seeing it." Paine said blankly, voicing out the complete opposite of her thoughts.

Genisis looked at her like she was crazy, "Must I show you?" His voice sounded poetic to Paine.

She shrugged, "Sure, go ahead." She smirked.

Genesis opened his mouth to do so, only to be cut off by Angeal, "She is only joking Genesis." He chuckled and patted his red haired friend's shoulder.

Said friend sighed and shut his mouth, but he wasn't going to lie; Paine was interesting.

"Your clothes...are not of here. Where are you from?" Sephiroth's deep voice cut the silence. Paine couldn't help but shiver lightly, his voice sounded more over powering in person, but she quickly pushed it aside.

"...Besaid." Paine mumbled and lightly pushed away strands of hair from her face.

The four men in front of her had a confused frown on their face.

"Besaid? Where is that?" Angeal asked, and lightly shifted on his feet. Paine was about to ask if he was stupid, but she held her tongue knowing that she was pretty much not in a state to fight at all. Angeal had his famous large sword on his back, making him angry right now wouldn't be smart. Her mouth wasn't a good weapon.

"It's obviously on the Besaid Island, near Kilika." She spoke. She was once again greeted with confused frowns.

"Besaid Island? Kilika? Are those places recently discovered?" Zack asked. Paine's eyebrows raised ten fold,

"You do not _know_ of Besaid and Kilika? What the hell? It's where High Summoner Yuna was raised. I'm pretty sure you should know about _her_." Paine grew slightly frustrated.

The men only shook their heads.

"We know nothing of this Besaid...or Kilika. Even a High Summoner Yuna. What _is_ a High Summoner exactly?" Genisis asked, rubbing his chin lightly.

Paine was about to collapse. Did these people have _lives_? Did they ever leave this building? How the heck could you not know about _Yuna_?

"How can you not...Where am I?" She quickly threw away her first statement with a question.

"Midgar." Sephiroth immediately answered. Paine held her breath. She had never heard of this place in her entire life.

"..What is the name of this world?" She looked at all four.

"Gaia."

Paine didn't hear Zack cry out her name when black over came her vision. She was in another _world_?

**AAAA**

Paine blinked repeatedly, adjusting to the bright light that was over her.

"Can someone turn that damn thing off?" Her voice was hoarse and she raised a hand, blocking the light. She sighed in relief when the light was toned down.

"Sorry about that." A voice she recognized that belonged to Angeal spoke.

Paine sighed and lightly placed her left hand on her forehead, "What the hell happened?" She sat up and looked at him. She was in an all white room, Angeal sticking out like a sore thumb. He seemed to be the only one with her though.

"You fainted after we told you that the name of this planet was Gaia." He frowned, still very curious at her reaction. Paine felt a dizzy spell over come her,

"Y-You can't be serious! This should be _Spira_. Did they decide to change the name of this planet or something?" She scowled.

"Spira?" Angeal looked surprised. "The world from that fairy tale?"

Paine looked at him weirdly, "Fairy tale? Spira is real. What are you talking about?"

"..I think you hit your head on the way down.." Angeal murmured and then left the room. He was going to speak to the others about what Paine told him.

Paine sighed with frustration and clenched her fist, _Where the hell did the bastard send me to?_

**AAAA**

Genesis raised an eyebrow, "She said she was from _Spira_? That world is only a fairy tale!"

Angeal sighed, "That's what I told her."

"She must have taken some blow to the head. She's probably thinking Spira is Gaia." Zack guessed.

"...No." Sephiroth pushed himself off the wall and briefly closed his eyes. "The nurse stated that she was completely fine. Nothing was bothered. Especially her head."

"So she's insane?" Genesis sighed and lightly scratched the back of his neck.

"Most likely." Sephiroth stared out the window, deep in thought.

"But she shows no sign of being insane except stating that she is from Spira." Angela spoke up.

"And she mentioned Besaid and Kilika. That wasn't in the fairy tale." Zack put his two cents in.

"True..But we don't know for sure." Sephiroth mumbled. "For now, try to steer away from the topic and befriend her. If we pay attention to her actions, we'll know sooner or later if she's sane." With that, Sephiroth left the room.

"..Is it me or did he just speak more than ever?" Genesis mumbled.

"He did." Angeal said and blinked. "I think there's a possibility this Paine girl is affecting him in a manner even I don't know."

"Maybe it's some long lost sibling connection." Zack shrugged. Angeal rolled his eyes and ruffled Zack's hair, then dragging him to the training room. Seeing that he was alone, Genesis took out his Loveless book and began to read in a chair.

**AAAA**

Paine blinked at her newly upgraded broadsword in her hand. Her traditional key chain was on the end so she knew it was hers...But how the hell did Hojo make it so high tech? It had light green streaks running down the blade and occasionally they would glow. The dull silver her broadsword once was, is now bright and brand new.

"...What did you do to it?" She mumbled after finding her voice.

"I added Mako, this weapon was perfect for my new experiment." Hojo said giddily. "You must try it, go go." He began to push her towards the training room. The two caught the curious eyes of the SOLDIER trio and Zack, and began to follow them. Sephiroth was the one that immediately spotted her weapon, taken back slightly by the Mako streaks.

Paine blinked when she realized she was alone in a metal room. She looked up to see Hojo and the guys behind glass. She was slightly freaked out by the scary smile Hojo had on his face.

**"**_Level 09. Grass Plains, Behemoth._**"** A mechanical, female voice was heard throughout the room.

"What the..." Her eyes widened as she was suddenly in a grass plain, surrounded by completely nothing. Or so she thought.

A ferocious growl brought her out of her observing. A growl she knew so well.

"Fuck!" She shouted and flipped backwards when she saw the Behemoth pounce in her direction. Close call.

She quickly grabbed her broadsword that was laying on the ground and immediately went into her fighting stance. She was almost surprised at how her weapon weighted equal to that of a feather. What the hell did Hojo do?

She was once again forced to flip backwards when it clawed at her.

She scowled and raised her broadsword, "Armor Break!" She jumped high in the air and slashed down at the Behemoth. It roared and took a few steps back. Its defense was lowered much to Paine's relief.

Paine smirked as she twirled the sword in her hand, gaining speed in spins each second. The Behemoth was foolish enough to believe she was not preparing to attack and jumped to strike.

"Got you." She mumbled and her sword glowed red. "Heaven's Release!" She ran up to the Behemoth with alarming speed and kicked it in the stomach, sending it high into the air. She jumped and her broadsword became surrounded by rune designs. She swung it once and a beam of light instantly manifested and cut through the Behemoth as if it were a piece of paper. She expected a rain of blood but the Behemoth only disintegrated. She touched the ground softly, landing on her feet.

She stared at her new broadsword in awe. It had given her a new Warrior ability. She was snapped out of her amazement when she heard clapping and loud cheers.

She looked up to see Hojo clapping happily and Zack yelling in amazement.

"That was pretty cool Paine!" Said boy had ran to her and was practically bouncing. She only shrugged and looked away, not noticing the heavy stares that were given to her by the SOLDIER trio.

"Now tell me Paine...have you heard of SOLDIER?" Hojo smirked and clasped his hands behind his back.

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**Me: Tee hee ~ I love cliff hangers. XD See you guys next time! Review review review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: I must be some sort of idiot ****to think about abandoning this. It's almost been a full year too. I am very sorry. I will update this story but not with one, but TWO chapters :D Italics is flashback. Bold is Paine's thoughts only.  
**

**Disclaimer: Blah blah. Don't own. Blah. Yeah you get it.**

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**Chapter 4:**

**_SOLDIER._**

Paine didn't know how she ended up agreeing to Hojo's suggestion. But here she was, in a slightly big cadet gym uniform three days later running beside Cloud Strife: Zack's friend. She was relieved to know that she had a couple of classes with someone who is a familiar face, since recently the famous first class SOLDIERS and Zack have been constantly by her side. And Cloud was always with Zack. It was a bit weird, let alone suspicious.

There were rumors going all around that Paine was Sephiroth's sister, and that she was dating Genesis.

People tend to enter scenes at the wrong time.

_Two days ago, Paine simply wanted to relax after training personally, since one was not accepted into SOLDIER immediately, she had to strengthen herself. Hojo wanted to continue testing to see if she was up for it. She wasn't the first female cadet, nor the first female to try for SOLDIER. And for that, she was glad. Last thing she wanted was attention for being a female in military unit for men. She was lounging on a couch in the lobby, staring out the window at the industrial city of Midgar._

_Genesis had popped out of the blue, calmly reading LOVELESS. She had become quite curious and asked what the play was about, since it was constantly in Genesis's hand, if not in his pocket. He immediately jumped at her question, slightly irritated that she did not know of the play. Next thing Paine knew, Genesis was holding her hand and recited his favorite line. He was of course doing it to show her the raw emotion of the play. Unfortunately, everyone else around them didn't see that._

_She was bombarded by a group of infuriated fan girls the next hour. She tried her best to tell them that how could she possibly date someone she met only a day ago and even ended up snapping at one of them. They had none of it and Paine had to end up finding shelter in Sephiroth's office. His reaction was a simple raised eyebrow before going back to his paper work._

_"Why were you being chased?" He had asked after ten minutes of silence. Paine had been reading a SOLIDER manual to keep herself busy. She slowly raised her head and responded with a dead panned voice,_

_"I'm apparently Genesis's girlfriend." And the conversation ended there. Sephiroth didn't have to comment._

Paine was brought out of her thoughts when she saw a fellow cadet fall in front of her. She momentarily hesitated in her running along with Cloud who had the same thought as her. But when they heard the death threats from their Drill Sargent, they immediately changed their minds and picked up their speed.

As Paine and Cloud neared fifteen laps, the Drill Sargent started to become merciful and told everyone to have a two minute water break. Paine groaned as she tugged at the collar of her gym uniform. It felt heavy and the sweatpants weren't helping either.

Cloud was lucky that he was able to wear a Shinra logo tank top. It were times like these where Paine hated her breasts. The Chocobo haired cadet tossed her a water bottle and she nodded in thanks, her throat too dry for her to speak. It wasn't as if she were out of shape, she was still in her warrior dressphere. It meant that she was dependent on her brute strength and had the agility to only doge. Not run for thirty minutes straight. She cursed at the long laps. She looked up at the clock on the far wall.

"Fifteen minutes left of class." She mumbled. She heard a soft grunt of the blond teenager. He didn't speak much since he is shy, but from his facial expressions and some sounds, Paine was immediately able to read him.

"Alright you weaklings! Do as many laps as you can in the last fifteen minutes we have!" The Drill Sargent, who Paine decided to call Douche bag, barked out. Paine drank out of her water bottle until it was half empty and set it by her towel.

"Come on Chocobo." Paine sighed and was met with Cloud's annoyance at his nickname. She chuckled and began to run, with him right by her side. His small figure helped him out with his agility, making Paine slightly jealous.

It only took five minutes of running for Paine to decide that she should use her thief dressphere next time.

**AAAA**

Genesis chuckled beside Angeal as he stared at Paine's face while she ran from behind the glass.

"It seems we finally have something in common. She hates running as much as I do."

Angeal snorted at Genesis's remark, "You always did complain more than run."

"Cadet training was a joke!" The red haired warrior defended himself. "I really don't see as to why we had to do it."

"We didn't know how to become a SOLDIER once we were born, Genesis," His friend reasoned. "And we were only in it for two weeks."

"Two weeks, too many. Hojo and Lazard decided too slow," Genesis scoffed. "Sephiroth didn't even have to _go_ through cadet training."

Angeal only sighed knowing that if he commented, Genesis would go into a full rant.

"Paine is really interesting though." Angeal was amused at how quickly Genesis changed the subject.

"How so?" He questioned, looking at how Paine helped Cloud keep up after the blond haired cadet slightly tripped over himself.

"Did you hear how she reacted when my fan girls practically attacked her?" Genesis sounded as if he were close to laughing.

"She hid in Sephiroth's office for two hours, right?" Angeal shifted in the green chair he currently occupied.

"Not only that, she practically chewed off one of the girl's ear." That brought the two SOLDIERs to chuckles.

But then Angeal immediately realized something a second later, "You have yet to deny that she is your girlfriend."

"I like to play games, Angeal." Was the only response he got when the rapier user stood up and left the room.

**AAAA**

Paine thanked Shiva for the fifth time at the fact she didn't have a roommate. She saw how her fellow cadets were running to their dorm rooms, most likely going to fight over the shower. Her timetable told her that she had a thirty minute break before going to her next class, Sword Wielding.

It took the silver haired warrior fifteen minutes to take a hot shower and change to her regular cadet attire. She stared longingly at her leather outfit before quickly massaging her shoulders. She sat on her slightly uncomfortable green bed and gently picked up her sword.

She understood the basics of mako, but it still managed to confuse her. She wondered if the mako would change her other dressphere weapons. She would have tested that theory out, but the last thing she needed was to have people banging at her door wondering why she was having a rave party. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

She really did hate the bright lights of changing between dresspheres. Speaking of her dresspheres, she checked under her mattress and counted how many were there.

"Good. All here." She mumbled. The last thing she needed was Hojo experimenting on more of her prized possessions. If he took these away from her, she'd feel incomplete.

She checked the hideous, gray clock on her painted white wall to see that she had ten minutes left of break. She decided that she could use these ten minutes to figure out her situation, and to possibly get out of it.

**'Alright so, that damn bastard sent me to a world where Spira is a fairy tale and yet the all details of my world aren't in the supposed book.' **She laid back on her scratchy, but warm sheets. **'I have to find** **that book, and fast. Maybe it will give me an idea on how to get back home. Screw adventures. I'd rather be annoyed by Rikku than be stuck in a place with a bunch of pollution.'**

She was startled when she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey Paine, since our next class is on the other side of the building, we should start heading there now." Cloud's soft voice was heard through the door. Paine had to strain her ears to hear him.

The warrior regretfully placed her beloved broadsword in the closet before leaving her dorm room. Cloud had previously told her that she is unable to use her broadsword because cadets weren't allowed their own weapons unless they were personally trained under a First Class SOLDIER, or in advanced classes. Paine vowed that she would fulfill the latter, since she really did not want to train under Genesis(She didn't need anymore rumors), Angeal(He was already training Zack and she didn't want to be a bother), Sephiroth(She would just spend the whole day trying to knock Masamune out of his hand), or a complete stranger. Even though the classes she had experienced in the early morning, Basic Materia(She almost mistook them for movie spheres), Summoning History(She was damn surprised when she saw that absolutely anyone could summon), and Agility Training(The torture that ended twenty five minutes ago).

"Alright." She opened the door and began to follow Cloud, since she had absolutely no idea where the beginner sword training room was.

**AAAA**

When Paine first saw her teacher and how much of an asshole he was to her in the first ten minutes, this class was definitely going to be her least favorite.

He had given her the lightest, and probably dirtiest sword that was on the sword rack. She had stared at it in disgust, and began to grow irritated at the smug look on her teacher, Sargent Turner.

She had grown bored as he taught the basics on how to swing, and how to block. Paine remembered being told that cadet training for this year had started three weeks ago, so why the hell were they still on this subject?

And she sighed when Sargent Turner decided to use her as a training dummy. His sword was far heavier and stronger than the piece of crap tin foil she had. He would occasionally make her land on her back when she tried to deflect.

"You should pay more attention, Paine. Maybe you wouldn't keep falling." He sneered. She scowled and stood up. She chose to say nothing since he had more power over her. One bad thing and she could end up on the streets of Midgar.

"My apologies sir." She spoke through clenched teeth. When she returned to the line of cadets, glaring at those who sniggered, and stood on the right of Cloud. She felt a tug on her left hand's pinky, something Cloud would do to calm her down. He was slowly finding his own place in Paine's heart. He reminded her too much of Yuna.

"Alright find a partner and start sparring. Take turns being offensive and defensive," The ginger hair asshole of an instructor barked at his students. Paine dreaded his next words. "Don't think about sparring with Paine, Strife. She's with me."

Paine was thankful that her paragraph of curses stayed in her mind, "Can I get a better sword?" She asked with an emotionless mask.

"Oh but Ms. Paine, the sword you have here is the best. But sure, go ahead." He mocked her. **'Oh that son of a bi-'**

"Thank you." She scowled and headed towards the sword rack. Only a couple were left and she noticed that one of them resembled her broadsword but it wasn't an exact match. She smirked and exchanged the swords, giving one last glare to the dirty excuse of a weapon.

"You're going to be offensive." Paine smirked at his command. **'Get ready for a beat down.'**

She caught him off guard by immediately charging, but he managed to quickly defend himself. Paine jumped back and charged again, making it seem as if she were going to swing her sword to the right. Turner raised his sword to defend his right side, only to be startled that Paine had tricked him. She quickly changed her sword position and was ready to strike his left side. She smirked when the tip of her sword was at his neck, she could practically feel the anger radiating off of him.

She heard a groan on her left, and turned to see Cloud on the floor with his partner laughing down at him. Her moment of distraction was enough for Turner. He moved from the tip of the sword and pushed it aside roughly, causing Paine to stumble. He swiped at her legs with his right foot, causing her to crash to the floor. Her sword sliding away as he stood over her as the victor.

"Detention." He smirked down at her, smug at her seething face. Turner left the girl on the floor as he went to look at the other cadets, praising some and scolding others. Paine didn't get up from the floor, currently watching Cloud try to regain his pride but to fall back to the floor. His partner walked away from him most likely to make fun of Cloud's embarrassment to his friends.

Paine sighed and stood up, walking to her fallen Chocobo friend. By looking at his face, Paine could see that Cloud was chopping off limbs in his mind. She snorted and helped him up. He mumbled a thank you as he angrily stared at a group of boys who were sniggering at him.

"Ignore them," She grabs his chin and made him look at her. "They aren't worth your anger. Come on, spar with me." She went over and grabbed her fallen sword. By the time she went back to Cloud, his anger had left and it was replaced with a sad smile.

"I'll be defensive." She raised her sword to block herself. They were like this the whole class occasionally switching roles, ignoring the cadets around them and the smirking Sargent.

Paine had not realized that she had gained a small amount of respect from a certain silver haired General that watched the whole entire situation.

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**Me: I hope you liked it. Please review (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me:**** Here's the second chapter for today. Enjoy. (: Italics in this chapter is Sephiroth's thoughts ONLY.  
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**Disclaimer: *Sits on a chair with text that says, 'I DON'T OWN SHIT.'*  
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**Chapter 5:**

**_President Shinra_**

Paine grumbled as she walked out of detention at six p.m. Turner made her scratch off the gum under desks. He apparently also taught a class for Third Class SOLDIERS, SOLDIER Mission Basics. Paine hoped to Ifrit that if she becomes Third Class, she won't have him.

She massaged her sore wrist as she decided to take the elevator instead of going down the stairs. Turner's classroom is eight floors above the cadet dorm rooms. She was far too lazy. She blinked in surprise when she noticed a small group of people, maybe six to nine, surrounding a fat man with thinning blond hair. She decided to eavesdrop when she noticed that he seemed to be yelling. She distanced herself slightly and stood in the shadows. She recognized one of the people surrounding him was General Sephiroth himself. She snorted at the fact that his silver hair made him stick out like a sore thumb. Oh how she knew the feeling.

"P-President Shinra, please calm down!" A woman with short brown hair with glasses, most likely a secretary, wasn't really helping. **'So that's President Shinra...' **Paine couldn't help but stare with amusement.

"I will damn well not calm down! This is the _third_ time in a week that a mako reactor has blown up!" He barked.

"President Shinra, we should take this to the Meeting Room." A man in a dark blue suit, most likely a Turk, with black eyes and black hair tied back into a pony tail. **'What is with people and tying back black hair.' **She snorted as she compared Hojo and the Turk.

The man most likely in his sixties ignored the Turk and turned to General Sephiroth, "I want you to go to the last reactor that blew up a couple of miles from Junon. Bring a couple of cadets with you, or guards. I don't care. Just tell me what the hell is going on."

Paine was too busy trying not to laugh at the fat man and did not notice that Sephiroth glanced in her direction once Shinra mentioned cadets. And before said General could answer him, the President was stomping angrily over to the elevator. **'I'm surprised this whole building hasn't collapsed yet because of the earthquakes he causes.' **She smirked and slipped away, deciding to head for the stairs since going to the elevator would bring everyone's attention to her.

"Hold it." She froze at the monotone voice of Sephiroth. She immediately thought of the worst as she slowly turned around, but quickly hid it with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Yes?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing up here? Cadets should be in the cafeteria eating dinner." He crossed his arms over his chest, his emotionless mask not leaving his face.

"Detention." She scoffed and looked at Turner's classroom door on the right of Sephiroth with distaste. The General didn't have to follower her eyes to know what she was looking at,

"I saw what happened." He mumbled as he walked towards her. She kept her ground and stared up at him, cursing inwardly that he was tall and she had to crane her neck.

"And?" She asked flatly.

"Do not let him get the best of you. It will only fuel his ego." He advised and walked past her, heading to the stairs. She turned around, dumbfounded. When he noticed that she wasn't following him, he slightly turned around.

"Are you going to stand there or are you going to let me accompany you to the cafeteria?" His tone couldn't help but make Paine slightly flush in embarrassment. She sighed, knowing that she was already the loser of an argument that hasn't even started.

His eyes flashed in amusement as she walked past him, grumbling about 'annoying males.'

**AAAA**

Paine was certain for sure that rumors were going to increase ten fold when she entered the cafeteria with Sephiroth and everyone stopped eating to stare at the two silver haired warriors. She ignored them and spotted Cloud, who was quietly eating by himself. She didn't comment when she noticed that Sephiroth continued to follow her, when she expected him to already leave once he held the door open for her.

She couldn't help but stare in amusement at the look on Cloud's face when he saw his hero accompany his friend.

"Close your mouth Cloud, you'll eat flies instead of the sandwich in your hand," She closed his mouth and patted his head. "I'm gonna go on line." She gave a quick glance at Sephiroth who sat down next to Cloud and walked away to her said destination.

The nervous cadet lost his appetite as his mouth went dry. _The_ Sephiroth was sitting right next to him, and here he was acting like a deer caught in headlights. Sephiroth on the other hand did not even notice Cloud's changing mood. He was too busy wrapped in his own thoughts. _'She has a power radiating from her body, it wasn't noticeable until I was directly next to her..' _He rested his right elbow on the table as he put his cheek on his palm. _'Could it be that she has Jenova cells in her body..? But she doesn't have eyes like mine. But she has silver hair, which is very unnatural to be born with..'_

Paine snorted as she came back to a pale Cloud and a deep in though Sephiroth. It seemed Sephiroth hadn't even acknowledged Cloud's presence. She found herself patting Cloud's spiky haired head again before sitting in front of the cadet and General. On her tray was decent looking spaghetti and a piece of small bread. She took one small bite, feeling slightly uncomfortable with Sephiroth staring at her. Cloud seemed to be in his own little world as he stared at his sandwich. But at least color went back to his face.

"Alright that's it. What is it?" She pushed her tray in front of her and glared at Sephiroth.

She was met with a barely there surprised look from the fearless General. What irritated her more was that he replied with a simple, "Nothing." Cloud couldn't help but switch his gaze between the two every second, as if he were watching two lions battle it out.

"Then why are you staring at me?" A frown painted on her lips.

"Thinking." Again with the one worded response.

"A gil for your thoughts?"

"My thoughts are worth more."

Cloud slowly found himself smiling at the exchange between the two. It looked as if two siblings were bickering. He didn't dare say a married couple, fearing that maybe Paine or Sephiroth would develop mind reading powers on the spot and hear him think that and most likely stab him and put him up on display before he could blink.

Paine was impatiently drumming her fingers on the table, trying her best not to fling her tray at the infuriating twenty five year old in front of her. Sephiroth was incredibly amused at her reaction, but did not show it on his face.

"If your thoughts are about me, then you have to share them to me." She blurted out. Cloud was startled at her boldness but he only smiled wider.

"Maybe another time." He stood up and left the cafeteria, leaving a chuckling Cloud and dumbfounded, irritated Paine.

Sephiroth smirked as he heard a tray collide with the cafeteria door after it closed behind him.

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**Me: Please review (: If wanted, I'll post another chapter tomorrow or Monday. Depends if I'm busy.  
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